Abarth Punto vs Corsa SRi

What’s the perfect car for tackling the twists and turns of a British B-road? Forget about costly supercars and sports saloons – drivers who are on a tighter budget can have just as much fun with the new breed of junior hot hatches.

As these models are small, agile and affordable, you can enjoy more of their performance, more of the time. And that gives them bags of appeal.

But the hot supermini scenery is about to change, thanks to the revival of a famous racing name from the past. Fiat’s Abarth tuning division is making a comeback, and the first car the scorpion-badged brand has got its claws into is the Grande Punto.

The newcomer features a turbocharged 1.4-litre engine, stiffer suspension and a host of racy cosmetic goodies to liven up the popular Fiat supermini. Abarth enjoyed its heyday during the Fifties and Sixties, so has the rejuvenated brand managed to find its magic touch again?

We took the three-door to the North Yorkshire Moors to face a homegrown rival from Vauxhall. The SRi logo has featured on a string of popular models since it debuted in the Eighties, and the latest Corsa version was tuned specifically for UK buyers.

A powerful turbocharged 1.6-litre engine and revised suspension settings should make twisty tarmac its natural habitat. With a range of sporty features designed to enhance driver appeal, plus solid Corsa underpinnings, it poses a formidable challenge to the new Grande Punto.

So, does the Italian offering have a sting in its tail, or will the Vauxhall triumph? We find out in one of the hot hatch match-ups of the year...